Lovely Tonight
by Keegan Elizabeth
Summary: The basics of my idea was to write about three important nights in Sara and Grissom's life, and it kind of just went from there. GSR of course . Please R


Spoilers: Everything up to 8x07. I have been adamant that I would not write anything about Living Doll or Season 8 because I find it depressing (minus the fact that Sara lived and the proposal). My muse, however, would not budge. She demanded that I write about LD/DD and beyond. I'll say that it was so hard to write, and I do not think I did that time period justice…but, well, I tried.

A/N1: I need to first thank Becky (**BeckyCSI**) for the beta. She's fabulous! When I told her that I was writing a songfic, she offered to look over it, not realizing that it would be over 12,000 words. So thanks again, sweetie!

A/N2: I have never written a songfic before but I have a sneaky suspicion that it's supposed to be short. So we'll just say that this is Keegan's version of a songfic. And, honestly, I think it's a bit more than just a songfic…and, well, I hope you feel the same and that you enjoy it.

A/N3: The dog will always be Bruno to me.

A/N4: Lastly, since I'm the author, I can dedicate this particular fic to whomever I want, right? So this goes out to **BrookeGreene** and **Felena1971** because of our conversations about how we think that Sara is absolutely gorgeous! Oh, Brooke –does Sara's thing with the paper towels count as a weird obsession??

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of CSI or its characters. I also do not own Joshua Radin's lyrics to his song, Lovely Tonight. I do think that everyone should check out his music! I do claim ownership of Gloria and Sid as they are figments of my imagination.

* * *

_I need you to know this won't be broken  
And all that we said will not be lost into the dawn  
And you would be the last thing I saw coming  
I'm still surprised_

It was their six-month anniversary. They had begun dating shortly after Nick's abduction. If there could be any good that came from that terrible incident, then it was that it had served as a wake up call for him.

Gil realized that it could just as easily been Sara, not Nick, who was trapped in that box underground. It could just as easily been her that he had almost lost.

The possibility of losing Sara had shaken him, badly.

Even so, it had taken him a week to gather both his words and his courage to go see Sara. He knew that it would not be an easy conversation. He wasn't expecting Sara to fly into his arms now that he was finally ready to admit to her that he cared for her. It wouldn't be easy to erase all the pain that he had caused her over the years by his refusing to acknowledge his feelings for her.

He had taken her breakfast on the morning of their mutual day off (there were a few benefits of being her supervisor as in knowing her work schedule). When she had opened the door, she was yawning and wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms that proclaimed, "Chicks Rule."

She had looked cute.

He wouldn't have said that she seemed too surprised to find him standing outside her apartment door with a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in one hand and a cardboard carryout box holding two coffees in the other. She, however, did seem a bit reserved.

Still Sara had invited him into her apartment. Together, they sat at her dining room table, eating. After they had exhausted the list of safe topics (the weather, how Nick was doing), she had finally asked what he was doing at her apartment. Sara was never one to not speak what was on her mind. It was just one of the many qualities that he loved about her.

He had exactly what he wanted to say planned out. He had a week to practice. He _was _prepared. He was _not_ going to screw everything up. He had way too much to lose if he messed things up again while he had so much to gain if he succeeded.

As he opened his mouth to begin his well-thought out speech, he looked up and into Sara's eyes. Her eyes had always affected him. She was staring at him with a mix of apprehension and what he could only identify later as hope, and he lost it. He completely lost everything –every carefully constructed word and thought. It all flew out the door.

He began to ramble, scared that if he didn't say something, anything that Sara would give up on him for good. He started talking about Nick being kidnapped; how they had almost lost him. He told her how he couldn't quit thinking that it could have been her. He told her how he hadn't been able to sleep through the night for the past week because he kept waking up in a cold sweat from having a nightmare that she was buried in that grave. And that he had been too late to save her.

He kept repeating that he had been too late until Sara had laid her hand over his, quieting him. He looked at her again, and he thought of all the pain that he had caused her. He didn't deserve her. She would never be able to forgive him. "I'm so sorry…so sorry, Sara. I regret that I realized too late that I don't want to live without you in my life."

She had gotten up and walked over to sit on his lap and kissed him, softly, on his cheek. "Shhh, no. It will never be too late. I've waited so long to hear those words from you, and now that I have I'm not going to let you go so easily." Then she smiled at him, with tears forming in her eyes.

He wasn't embarrassed to confess that he had wrapped his arms around her and clinging to her, he had cried tears of happiness, dampening her t-shirt in the process. She had held on to him and cried as well. He wasn't quite sure how long they had stayed like that, but when they finally drew apart, he had asked, "So does this mean you'll be my girlfriend?"

She had laughed and gave him a quick kiss on his mouth. "Why don't you ask me out to dinner first and then we'll negotiate terms from there?"

And that was how it began.

_You are lovely tonight  
You, dear, will guide me into the morning light  
You are lovely tonight  
Lay here beside me - I see the rest of my life with you_

Standing outside of her apartment, he knocked on her door. He was a few minutes early but he knew he wouldn't have to worry about waiting for Sara to finish getting dressed, as she was just as punctual as he was.

He had a bouquet of her favorite flowers, irises and yellow tulips, hiding behind his back.

He heard the door being unlocked, and he started to smile. Then Sara opened the door and all mental thoughts left his mind.

She was wearing a deep royal blue gown made of silk. It was cut high in the front so it should have been modest except for the fact that the silk flowed neatly over Sara's curves, emphasizing them. Then she turned around, revealing the back of the dress. The dress had a plunging back, leaving her back almost completely bare.

"So, what do you think? Is it_ too_ much? It is, isn't it? I didn't know what to wear. You said something nice, something formal. Gil, say something please!" She was nervous. Beyond nervous, she admitted to herself. It was their six-month anniversary, and she planned to invite him to stay the night, for the first time. Their first time.

"Sorry. When I saw you, I lost all train of thought. Sara, you are lovely tonight," he told her as he handed her the flowers that he had temporarily forgotten were behind his back. She did look exquisite tonight. But then again she also managed to take his breath away when she was just wearing a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt.

Sara sighed into the flowers, as she smelled them. "Thank you, Gil. These are beautiful. Let me go put them in some water real quick and then we can go," she said before she left him, standing outside her apartment with her door wide open and feeling slightly bemused.

A few minutes later she returned with a small purse in her hand. She locked her door and turned back around toward him. "I realized I didn't give you a kiss to say hello or to thank you for the flowers. Whatever was I thinking?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Hmmm. I don't know," he replied and leaned forward to kiss her, softly. Gently. He wanted the kiss to last forever.

Sara, however, had slightly different plans. All too soon she broke the kiss, albeit she was a bit breathless when she did.

"Hey," he protested. "That kiss was too short. Remember you owed me two."

"Sorry, sweetie," she said, patting his cheek and causing him to frown. "But we have reservations to make, and I'm famished. By the way, you look particularly handsome in that suit tonight," she said as she made her way down the steps and to Gil's vehicle with him following behind her.

She wasn't about to tell him the real reason she had put a stop to their kiss. She had been afraid if the kiss had continued much longer that she would have invited him into apartment and forgotten all about their dinner plans. She was famished all right –for one sexy entomologist.

But she resisted because she knew that he had taken the time to make plans and, well, she would admit to herself –at least –that she enjoyed it when they went out to dinner. She would see how the women would look at him, eyeing him. And she would ever so subtly move closer to him, running a hand up and down his arm. Or she would take his hand in hers and kiss the top of it. She wanted to make it clear to those women that he was hers. "Eat your heart out, ladies. He's mine, and I'm one lucky woman," she would think to herself. Of course, Gil was oblivious to it all. She knew that he worried about their age difference although she reassured him time and time again that age was nothing but a number to her.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled up to their destination.

"Gil?" she asked. There was no way they could be eating there.

Knowing instinctively what she was asking, he replied, "Yes. I got us reservations here for tonight."

"But how? This restaurant is one of the most exclusive restaurants in Las Vegas. I heard Catherine talking about it a while back. She said that unless you're a major movie star or singer than you're looking at a minimum of a three-month waiting period, sometimes longer. How did you manage this?" she questioned as they got out of the car.

Gil handed his key to the valet, and they walked toward the entrance of the restaurant.

He grinned as he answered, "I have my ways." He wasn't going to tell her that he had made reservations for this night months ago. They had been dating for only a month, and he knew that for their six-month anniversary that he wanted to make it extra-special for Sara. He knew some people might think he was crazy for booking a reservation for a six-month anniversary five months in advance, but he didn't care. He knew his feelings for Sara were not going to change.

When they arrived at the maître d's station, the young man greeted them. " Good evening, sir and madam. How may we help you this evening?"

"We have a reseravation for two. The last name is Grissom."

Checking the reservations book in front of him and finding the name he was looking for, he glanced back up and smiled. "Yes, sir. A table for two at 7:30. If you will wait just a moment please, then I'll have someone take you to your table."

"Thank you," Gil said, stepping to the side with Sara.

Sara wasn't deterred from their previous conversation. She still wanted to know how he had managed to get reservations. She was persistent and, truthfully, he wasn't surprised.

"You do know, Gil, that I'll get the truth out of you eventually, right?"

"Yes, I do know. And I wouldn't have it any other way, sweetheart."

"Grissom?" a young lady asked, looking over to where he and Sara were standing.

"Yes," he answered as he stepped forward with Sara.

"Good evening. Please follow me."

As they walked through the restaurant, Gil admitted to himself –at least –that he enjoyed when they would go out to dinner. He saw how the men looked at Sara, eyeing her. He moved closer and laid a hand on the small of her back, and she glanced over and smiled at him. He wanted to make it known to every man in the room that she was his. "Sorry, boys. She's mine, and I'm one lucky son of a bitch," he thought to himself. Of course, Sara was oblivious to it all. He knew that she really didn't consider herself to be beautiful although he told her time and time again that she was.

They were seated at a booth in a secluded section of the restaurant, per his earlier request.

When their waiter for the evening came to take their drink order, he ordered a bottle of their best champagne.

Returning minutes later, the young man poured the golden liquid into two flutes and left them alone again to study the menu and to give them some privacy.

"Gil, you didn't have to order champagne."

"Yes, I realize that. I wanted to. Tonight is a special night," he said, picking up his flute.

Sara smiled as she agreed. "Yes, it is." She picked up her champagne glass as well.

"Shall we make a toast?" he questioned.

"Yes. What would you like to toast to?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Ut nos ed duos, nos es eternus," Gil spoke, softly.

Sara smiled. "When we are two, we are eternal."

"Very good. You know your Latin, Miss Sidle."

They clinked their glasses together and took a sip of their champagne.

"Mmmm, good. Very bubbly," Sara said.

When their food arrived later, Sara had fed him a few bites of her entrée, and he had done the same. For dessert, they had split a decadent red velvet cake.

The food had been excellent or what he remembered of it was.

He had been more focused on Sara than on appreciating the gourmet meal in front of him. Throughout the evening, they could not keep their hands to themselves. Sara would run her fingers up and down his arm that was on the table. He would reach over and tuck a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. She would lightly caress his calf under the table with her foot that she had taken out of her shoe. He would lean over and give her a lingering kiss.

By the end of the evening, his senses were swimming and it had nothing to do with the bottle of champagne that they had finished and everything to do with the woman sitting in front of him.

He paid the bill, quickly, and they left the restaurant.

Twenty-five minutes later, they arrived back at Sara's apartment. He walked her to her door.

"Sara, thank you for a great evening," he said before he kissed her goodnight. "Happy anniversary, honey." They had been together for six-months, but they hadn't become physically intimate yet. He hadn't wanted to push Sara too fast. She was too important to him.

_This is it. This is the moment you have been waiting for, Sara. Just ask him._ "Will you spend the night?"

His eyes widened a bit. "Are you asking what I think you are?

"Yes."

"Are you sure, Sara? If not, then that's okay honey." He didn't want her to have any regrets.

If she had any remaining doubts, then they had just disappeared. "I'm sure. Come in, please. Make love to me, Gil."

He had to help her open her door. She was so nervous that in the process of trying to find the right key she had dropped them to the ground.

"Here let me," he said, bending down to retrieve her keys.

"Thanks. I'm a bit clumsy tonight," she said with a nervous laugh.

He opened the door, and they entered her apartment. "Sara, don't be nervous." He felt a bit stupid saying that as butterflies raced in his stomach. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

She shut the door and locked it. Turning around, she had her hands clasped in front of her, like she was trying hard not to fidget. "I'm not nervous or, well, not really. I _want_ to be with you tonight."

She took his hand and led him to her bedroom.

He stood at the entryway of her bedroom as she had asked him to do. He watched her as she dimmed her bedroom lights, turned down the sheets on her bed, and lit some candles. She turned on her stereo as well to something that was low and bluesy. He didn't bother telling her that the music was unnecessary because whenever he was with her there was music playing in his heart.

She stopped a few feet in front of him. Holding his gaze, she moved her hands to her shoulders, ready to push down her straps that held up her dress.

Quickly, he stepped forward and placed his hands over hers. "Let me," he softly said. She stared up at him, and he cupped her cheek with one hand as he lowered his lips to her.

Sighing into his kiss, she wound her arms around his neck. Giving all that she had, she poured all that she was feeling into the kiss.

She felt his hands on her shoulders again, slipping the straps from her dress down. She broke the kiss and took a step back, allowing the dress to pool at her ankles. She stepped out from both her shoes and her dress, standing before him wearing nothing but a pair of black panties.

As his eyes trailed lazily down her body, she had to resist the urge to cover herself. Slowly, his eyes made his way back up her body and looked into her eyes. His eyes had darkened with need and desire.

"Sara, you are lovely tonight," he whispered, reverently. Staring into his eyes, she found that she believed him. He made her feel beautiful.

Stepping closer to him, she said, "I want to see you, too." She helped him remove his clothing until he was standing before her clad only in his boxers.

She reached out and ran her fingers down his chest as he trailed a hand lightly down her side.

When he lifted her up into his arms, she pressed a kiss against his neck. When he laid her on the bed, she reached out her arms for him to join her.

"Gil, it's never been like this before with anyone. I can't catch my breath."

"No. It's never been like this," he agreed as he kissed his way, lovingly, down her body. He wanted to take his time discovering Sara. Discovering her body's secrets.

She was floating. Her senses were overwhelmed by the sensation that he was creating in her. His mouth, his hands were taking her to places she hadn't known existed.

Her sighs of pleasures mixed in the air with his soft murmurings of love.

He made his way back up her body and recaptured her lips, once more. As he braced himself above her, he softly demanded, "Open your eyes. Look at me when I make you mine, Sara." And she found that she could not deny him anything.

When they came together as one, he felt that he had finally come home.

And afterwards as they lay tangled together, he whispered, for the first time, that he loved her.

_Alone we are fine; but when we're two, we are eternal  
The moons have aligned our separate lives; here become one  
And you would be the last thing I saw coming  
I'm still surprised_

After their first time together and their whispered words of love, they began to fall into a routine of sorts. They never discussed it explicitly or anything; it just kind of happened over the course of the next few months.

Following work, Sara would show up on his doorstep with a smile on her face, asking if she could come in. As soon as the door closed, they would fall into each other's arms. Or sometimes after work they would go out for breakfast and he would follow her home where she would then invite him in. And they would spend the rest of the afternoon together in her bed.

He wasn't sure when she began leaving things around his place. At first, it was little things. A book she had been reading. A bottle of her favorite lotion she loved to use before going to bed. He began leaving things over at her place as well. A forensics journal he had been studying. A pair of glasses he used when reading.

One day she brought a few extra pairs of clothes over so that she wouldn't always have to make a trip back home to change into work clothes before heading into the lab. He started to do the same because it 'just made more sense.'

At the grocery store, he would find himself picking up soymilk and some of Sara's other favorites that he had learned so that she would have some food to eat (that she liked) when she stayed over. She started buying his favorite brand of peanut butter for her pantry.

One afternoon after he had spent the night, Sara had gotten out of bed and casually walked over to her dresser and opened the top drawer. "I wanted you to know that I cleared out this drawer for you to use. Plus, there's some extra room in the closet for you."

After that afternoon, they never again spent another night apart unless one of them was working.

He had never lived with someone he was dating before, and Sara hadn't either. Those first few months of cohabiting had been enlightening, to say the least.

They had discovered each other's quirks and eccentricities. Any 'masks' that they had worn were completely gone, and they were able to get to know the real person beneath the facade. Sara had discovered that he refused to use the dishwasher although he had one. He had grown up watching his mother hand wash all the dirty dishes. Sara considered the dishwasher to be one of the best inventions of the twentieth century. He had discovered that Sara never did laundry until she had run completely out of clean clothes whereas he did his laundry once a week.

When they went to the grocery store for the first time together, he had thrown in a roll of plain white paper towels. Sara had looked at him as if he had grown another head. Picking back up the roll from their shopping cart, she placed it on the shelf again and said, "Gil. Sweetie, you have to buy the pretty ones."

Now it was his turn to stare at her as if she had grown another head. "_Pretty_ ones?" he had questioned, flummoxed.

"Yes. Pretty ones. You know, ones that have designs on them."

"Oh," he said, still not quite understanding. But he was more than happy to go along with whatever Sara wanted so he picked up some paper towels that had some dancing clowns on them. "What about these?"

Sara looked over at his selection and shook her head. "First of all, clowns have always freaked me out a little. Secondly, I was talking about _cute_ ones. You know, ones depicting playful kittens or maybe even some flowers." Eventually, he learned that her favorite ones had butterflies on them. Whenever he found paper towels with butterflies on them, he bought a few extra to keep his pantry stocked.

Despite their minor differences, they found that they had more in common than they realized. Together, they began a new life. For the two of them –both of who were so used to doing things their own way, and not sharing, and not having to compromise –well, somehow they managed to come together as one and create a life together. They were happy.

_You are lovely tonight  
You, dear, will guide me into the morning light  
You are lovely tonight  
Lay here beside me - I see the rest of my life with you  
_

Nearly a year later, he didn't think it was possible to fall in love with Sara even more. She constantly amazed him. She could just walk into the room where he was, and he would be completely overwhelmed by his love for her. He knew that he was so lucky to have her in his life. He would do anything for her so that was why he had agreed to get a dog, although there were so many reasons to say no.

Although they were living together, they still commuted between his place and Sara's. He wanted her to move in with him permanently and let go of her apartment but Sara had been reluctant to do so. They spent most nights at his place but occasionally they stayed at Sara's. He knew Sara loved him. Still, he worried that maybe the reason she wanted to keep her apartment was because she was afraid that something would go wrong in their relationship so he had asked her one night about it. She had reassured him that she had no doubts at all about their relationship. "I know this may sound stupid but, well, my apartment was the first place I ever felt comfortable in. There are some good memories there. It's where we made love for the first time, and it's where you told me that you loved me first."

"Sara, oh Sara," he had whispered in her ear before kissing her. "Honey, as long as we're together it doesn't matter the place."

So when Sara said that she wanted a dog he knew neither of them had the best place for one. He didn't even think Sara's apartment allowed pets, and although his townhouse did have a backyard, it was rather small. In addition, there was the big issue that both of them worked a lot. Dogs required a lot of time and effort. They needed a lot of attention. He had all these reasons on the tip of his tongue to tell her, but when he looked into Sara's brown eyes, he knew that he couldn't refuse her.

And that was why on their next joint day off instead of being stretched out on the couch with Sara watching the Discovery channel like he would have preferred, he was driving to the nearest humane society.

"I'm so excited. Aren't you excited, Gil?" Sara asked during the car ride. She never had a pet in her life and, well, she wanted one. Badly.

"Yeah, I'm thrilled, honey. Remember though that we don't have to get a dog today. We can just look and get an idea. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Good, she agrees with me," he thought.

A few seconds later, she spoke again. "I can't wait! I wonder if we can take the dog home with us today?"

_Okay…maybe not._ He had to smile at her childlike enthusiasm.

He pulled up to the humane society's parking lot and parked. Sara jumped out of his Denali before he had a chance to open the door for her. She grabbed his hand, pulling him to the entrance. "Come on."

An elderly lady greeted them at the front desk when they arrived. "Hi. Can I help you?"

"Yes. We want a dog," Sara said, excitedly.

"We're just here to look actually," he corrected.

Sara tossed a small glare at him, making the lady at the desk try to hide her smile.

"My name's Gloria by the way. If you will follow me, then I'll take you back to where we keep our animals."

She led them to the room –well, it was more like a giant hallway that was lined with cages. They were greeted with a cacophony of noise. Barking, yelping, and howling came from the various cages. "It was enough to give someone a headache after five minutes in the place," he thought. Sara appeared to not be bothered by all the noise.

"I'll let you two look for a while. I'll come back later and see if you need any help or have any questions," Gloria told them.

"Okay. Thanks," Sara replied.

As she walked away, Gloria could hear the man say, "We don't have to decide today," and the woman's reply, "Whatever you say, sweetheart." She had to hold back a chuckle. She had seen the way that he had looked at his young lady. He was completely wrapped around her finger. They were going to walk out of here with a dog today or her first name wasn't Gloria!

For the next thirty minutes, they walked around, looking at the dogs. Sara stopped many times, getting down on her knees and reaching into the cages to pet them.

The first time she had done that he had made the mistake of mentioning out loud to her that maybe she should be careful in case the dog might bite.

She had shot him a cool look and had asked, "How can you think that such a sweet dog could possibly bite me?"

He wisely shut up, and he hadn't even mentioned the fact that the dog had to weigh well over one hundred pounds and could do her serious harm if the dog wasn't locked in a cage.

"Aww, Gil. Come here. Look," Sara said a few minutes later.

"Isn't he adorable?" she asked, already down on her knees in front of the cage, trying to coax the boxer into getting up and coming closer.

So far, he was the only dog that he had seen that was not barking. All the others had been on their feet, their noses at the cages and their tails wagging. This dog was lying on the concrete with his head resting on his front paws and his eyes wide, staring at Sara. He had to admit that he was a good-looking dog, and he could see why Sara was drawn to him. She would always be the one to champion the little guy.

"Come here, boy. You know you want to. Come on…please. I just want to pet you," Sara sweet-talked to the dog.

The boxer finally decided to come closer to investigate the woman calling to him. He sniffed at her hand at first and then began licking her fingers with his large pink tongue, causing Sara to laugh.

"Yes. See, there's no reason to be afraid," she said as she petted him through the bars of the cage. "Oh, he's so sweet, Gil." She looked up and smiled at him.

Before he could say anything, Gloria came up behind him. "Oh! I see that you have met Bruno."

"Is that his name? Hi, Bruno. You're such a good boy," Sara told the boxer. "He was a bit shy at first, but he's definitely very friendly." From the moment she had seen him, lying in the cage with his sad brown eyes, her heart was completely lost. She wanted him. Now all she needed was for Gil to agree that he wanted him as well.

"Bruno's been here for a while. Some people might say that I'm crazy but I really do think that dogs can sense things and that he knows he doesn't have much longer left."

"What? Why? Is something wrong with him?" Sara stood up and asked, instantly concerned.

Gil knew what was about to come from Gloria, and he could already predict what Sara's response would be.

"The humane society does a lot of good," the elderly woman was saying, "but, unfortunately, we have to put dogs down if they haven't been adopted after a certain period of time."

"That's horrible. How much longer does he have?" Sara asked.

"About a week."

As if Bruno knew that they were discussing his impending death sentence, he let out a mournful wail.

Sara immediately crouched down again to stroke him through the cage. "It's okay. Don't worry. We'll save you. Won't we, Gil?"

"Sara, he's a big dog. He'll need a lot of room to play in…"

"Gil! If he's not adopted, then he'll be put down. And you know what you'll be? A dog killer. What do you have against Bruno? He's never done anything to hurt you."

"Honey, it's not that I don't like the dog. He seems nice. Really nice, in fact. And I'm sure that someone will think so too and adopt him in time…"

"We can't abandon him. Please? I couldn't live with myself if I found out that they had to put him down because he didn't get adopted. He has no one. He just wants to be loved. Don't you, Bruno? Come on look at his eyes. How could you say no to his puppy dog eyes?" Sara questioned, looking up at him.

It wasn't Bruno's eyes, but Sara's that had made him say yes. He couldn't say no to her when she looked at him with her brown eyes, pleading.

Sighing, he said, "Okay. Bruno can come home with us."

Sara leapt up and threw her arms around him and gave him a smacking kiss on the lips. "Thank you! Thank you! You won't regret saying yes, I promise."

"I hope not," he said.

Fifteen minutes later, he was finishing up the last of the required paperwork. Sara was holding Bruno's leash, and the dog was sitting, calmly, beside her.

Gloria was busy telling Sara all the great things about the boxer breed of dogs. "Boxers are quite easy to train on account of their willingness to obey. They're also highly intelligent and show great devotion to their owners. Boxers are known as well to be playful and patient with children, so you picked a great dog. He'll protect his family well."

Sara listened and smiled, "Thanks. It sounds like Bruno is a real winner in more ways than one."

"Here you go, Gloria. Is that all you need?" he asked a few minutes later, as he handed the completed forms to her.

After she glanced over them, she replied. "Yes. That's it. Congratulations on your first pet."

As they headed out of the humane society, he said, "I will say one thing. Bruno is _not_ going to be sleeping in our bed."

Two weeks later, he and Sara were spooning in bed. Bruno was lying at the bottom of their bed with his eyes closed, in doggie Heaven.

"Gil?"

"Mmmm. Yes?" he asked, absently stroking her arm.

"I was thinking that maybe we should consider buying a house. We would both be giving up our old places, and we can buy one together. Start a new chapter of our life. I thought that we could find a house that had a big backyard for Bruno to play in. And, well, it's just a suggestion… we don't have to, of course…" She really needed to learn to quit babbling when she was nervous.

She didn't add that she couldn't help but think that a big backyard would be great for children to play in as well. Ever since Gloria had mentioned how great boxers were with children, she couldn't quit thinking about having a little boy with blue, blue eyes.

Gil had agreed with her that they should look into buying a house. That weekend they had met with a realtor and started the house hunting process. They both agreed that they were in no hurry. They just wanted to get an idea of what was available.

A month later, their realtor called, excited. She told them that she had found the _perfect_ house for them.

And it was. It was located about a half hour away from the city, away from work. The houses were not close together. The house had a good size front yard and a huge backyard. It was two stories tall and had three bedrooms and three bathrooms. There was a kitchen with a separate dining room. It had a den as well as a living room and a screened-in back porch. It was great. Sara had agreed. She fell in love with the house almost immediately.

Neither of them mentioned the obvious fact that they didn't really need three bedrooms at the moment. They pretended that the extra bedrooms would be for a home library and office. They didn't say out loud to each other that the house would be perfect to start a family in. Ever since Gloria had mentioned that boxers were great with children, Gil couldn't get the image of a little girl with brown, brown eyes out of his head.

A month later, they had closed on the house and were set to move in. He and Sara took a couple of days off from work to move into their new home. It was hard work. By the end of day two, they had moved everything into their new place although they had many boxes of their stuff that would still need to be unpacked. They would get to it eventually. Their bedroom was completely finished though because Sara had wanted their room to be set up for their first night in their new home.

Together, they collapsed, exhausted, onto their bed.

"I'm never going to move again. This is it. I'm going to lie here forever," Grissom groaned. He was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

Sara had been lying on her back as well but she rolled over to her side, propping herself up with her right elbow, and stared at Grissom. "Oh, really? Hmmm. I was just going to suggest that we properly christen our bedroom our first night here. But if you would rather just lie in bed…" she trailed off what she had been saying.

Rolling over to his side to face her, he grinned. "I think I just found some energy…"

"Oh, good." Sara laughed and leaned forward to kiss him.

He had her under him when he broke their kiss a few minutes later. He asked, "Have I told you that you are lovely tonight?" as he bent forward to recapture her lips.

In the next minute, they had divested each other of most of their clothes. He only had his boxers on while she was wearing only a camisole and a pair of panties when they heard howling, coming from outside their bedroom door.

Sara broke their kiss, concerned about Bruno.

"Leave him. He'll be fine," he said, kissing her again while moving his hand to underneath her cami.

Sara wiggled out from his reach. "Gil! He's probably nervous about his first night in a strange place."

"Sara, he's a dog. He'll be quiet in a few minutes." Bruno's howls grew louder, if possible, and he began to claw at their door, making a complete mockery out of everything he had just said.

Sara got out of bed and headed to the door. "He's just scared. It's a new house. We can't just leave him outside. He might hurt himself," she said as she opened the door, wisely moving out of the way as the massive dog came barreling in, barking happily at seeing his two owners.

Sara bent down and petted him. "Good boy. It's okay, baby. You don't need to be scared anymore."

Gil groaned in frustration. He wanted to be the one that Sara was petting. "Sara, honey. What about our plan to christen the room? I'm not sure if I feel entirely comfortable with Bruno being in the same room, hearing us much less seeing us."

Sara had to laugh. "Gil, as you said, he's just a dog. I'm sure Bruno won't mind any noise we might make. Unless you're worried that you might have some performance anxiety since you know there will be another male in the room…?" she teased, laughing again.

He sat up, indignant. "Performance anxiety?! Get over here, Miss Sidle, and I'll prove to you that I don't have performance issues."

Sara made her way over to the bed. "Promises, promises," she said, grinning as she fell into his open arms.

"Gil, what are you doing?" she asked a couple of seconds later.

"I'm throwing the covers over us…" he answered.

_All my life I've lived alone without you  
All this time I couldn't find a way to belong_

Like everyone else in the world, he had heard that before you died your life flashed before you. He had never really considered it much or put much credence into the saying.

After that night, he did. Like a movie reel, images ran through his mind. The first four decades of his life passed by in a blur. Then it slowed down, painstakingly slow.

In his mind, scenes of Sara played one after another.

The first time that he had met Sara at a Forensics Conference. Turning around at the crime scene of Ted Sallinger to find Sara, grinning at him. The night he and Sara spent together watching the dead pig. Sara wiping chalk from his cheek at a crime scene. At the hockey rink, where he told her that he had become interested in beauty since he met her. Sara standing outside his office door, asking him out and his subsequent answer that he didn't know what to do. Sara telling him about her parents and crying in front of him. Their six-month anniversary and their first time. Sara telling him she wasn't ready to say goodbye after Jim had been shot. The two of them going to adopt Bruno. Moving into their new home and their first night there. Sara shaving him after he returned from his sabbatical. And finally his phone call to her telling her that night they had gotten an ID on the miniature killer; her name was Natalie Davis.

No, he wasn't about to die. It had been Sara who was so close to death. His life had flashed before his eyes when he realized that Sara was missing and that Natalie had taken her.

The others hadn't understood at first. But Natalie had. She had known that without Sara in his life, his life was not worth living. She knew that by taking the only person he had ever loved that it would be like killing him, only much worse because he would still be alive and would have to live his life without Sara.

Before that night, he had known that he had loved Sara. He had told her and showed her many times. But when faced with the possibility that he might lose her and never be able to tell her again that he loved her, he realized that he wasn't sure he could go on living. He knew that Sara always thought he was strong and that she would want him to go on living without her. He just didn't know if he could.

Everything that happened in the search for Sara was just a blur to him. He was just going through the motions. He was numb –to everything. The only thing that kept him from shutting down completely was that he knew he couldn't give up on Sara. He had to have hope. He had to find the strength to keep going. Sara was a born survivor; she had survived so much in her life. He knew that she wouldn't give up without a fight.

He had to stay strong for her, for them, for their future.

Out in the desert, at the car, when he realized that Sara had gotten out from underneath the mustang, he had begun to hope. It was a small spark, but it was there. When he saw the three-rock stack that Sara had left, his heart had rejoiced at the fact that she was lucid enough to leave a trail for them to follow. It was a good sign, he felt. And the flame grew.

But when he had discovered the body of the hiker and then hadn't been able to see any other signs of Sara, he had begun to lose it again. With the hot sun pounding down on him, he stared into the vast emptiness of what was before him and had struggled not to fall to his knees and break down completely.

Later he had heard Sofia's voice over the radio saying that they had found her. He wanted to break down again but this time in joy. They had found his Sara.

Then he had seen her almost lifeless body lying in the desert sand. He had wanted to drop to his knees and cradle her in his arms. He wanted to touch her; he wanted to tell her that she couldn't leave him. He couldn't live without her. Instead, he had stood back and watched, helplessly, as the medics did their job. When they loaded Sara into the helicopter, he had finally found his voice and told them that he was going with her.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her even if he had wanted to. He was afraid if he closed his eyes even for a moment then she would vanish in front of him. He held her hand –desperate for a link. Desperate for her to know that he was there, and he wasn't letting her go. He wasn't ready to say goodbye either.

And when she blinked and opened her eyes, staring at him, his world steadied once again. He squeezed her hand and smiled at her, forcing back the tears that threatened to form in his eyes. She was going to be all right.

She had to stay in the hospital for three days, and during that time, he hadn't left her side any longer than what was required to get a cup of coffee a few doors down. Jim and the rest of the team had all offered to sit with Sara while he took a break. Sara had even told him that it was okay if he needed to go home to get some sleep. He had refused. There was no way he would leave her alone.

A week later, she returned to work only to have to change to day shift. He knew that there was a reason that he always despised office politics. He hadn't wanted Sara to move to dayshift. He felt like he should be the one to change –it was his fault that things were the way they were. But she had said something about how she could use a little more daylight in her life and he had finally agreed with her.

Things were going to be different because of their new work schedules. They could make it work though. It would be hard at first, but they could do it.

Over the next few weeks, they tried to adjust to their new life. Trying to find time to spend together was difficult.

During that time, he thought a lot about how close he had been to losing Sara. They hadn't really talked much about what had happened. It was too hard. He didn't want to talk about how she had almost died and how he hadn't been able to do anything about it. He rather celebrate that she was alive. That he still had her with him. He rather talk about their future.

When he realized that Natalie had taken her, his life had gone before him. Although Sara had only been part of his life for a small time, she was the best part of his life. He hadn't really begun living until he had met her. His life was divided into two separate times: before Sara and after Sara. His life before Sara had been lonely. He had been fine with it because he hadn't known anything different. After Sara, he had found out what it felt to truly feel alive. He never wanted to lose that.

A few days later, Sara had come to visit him when he had been with the bee colony that he had taken from the Macalino's attic. He knew that she was a bit leery of bees, but she still came to see him, to spend time with him. When he had told her that the bees were practically harmless, she had taken off her glove and had said that she trusted him.

And that was it. She trusted him, and he trusted her with his heart. He knew that he couldn't wait any longer. She was the one he wanted to marry. He had planned on asking her to marry him at Christmas, but he couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth. He knew it wasn't exactly the most romantic proposal, but Sara had said yes.

He couldn't have been happier. He was engaged to the woman he loved. And though he could see that something wasn't quite right with Sara, he brushed it off. He told himself that she was just trying to get used to her new schedule at work. She was just tired. She was annoyed with Ronnie for asking way too many questions.

And when he noticed that when she smiled at him her smile didn't quite reach her eyes like it used to, he told himself that she was still trying to cope with her desert ordeal (as he had begun to think of it). He promised himself that he would work harder to make her happy.

He had seen the signs. He would admit it to himself now that he had seen them. But he hadn't wanted to acknowledge that maybe he wouldn't be able to 'fix' what was bothering Sara. He hadn't wanted to consider the possibility that 'it' wouldn't go away.

He was happy. They were happy. They were engaged to get married.

Then it happened. Hodges had been talking to him, giving him a report update. Sara had appeared coming down the hall, coming toward him.

Completely uncaring that they were at work, uncaring that Hodges was standing a few inches away, she had wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. As quickly as she had come, she had left again. He was so taken by surprise that he had remained rooted to the spot where he stood.

He had known that something was wrong, but he had thought, stupidly, that it would be okay until they got home and they could talk about it.

Later, he went to search for Sara so he could tell her that they needed to talk when he got home. But he couldn't find her. He asked Judy if she had seen Sara. She had told him that Sara was already gone but that she had left him an envelope.

He wasn't quite sure how he made it back to his office –maybe it was because his body automatically knew the route after so many years of working at the lab. When he had seen the envelope, he had somehow known that Sara wouldn't be waiting at home for him.

Reading the letter had been painful. He could hear Sara's voice saying that he was her one and only.

He had wanted to scream. He had wanted to throw something. Anything. He wanted to hurt something –someone –anything to do to try to take the pain he was feeling away.

Three days later, his cell phone had rung. The caller id showed that it was Sara. His first instinct was that he wanted to hurt her like she had hurt him. He felt like she had taken a knife and literally ripped his heart out and handed it back to him –with glee.

But when he had answered and heard her voice, heard her softly spoken, "Gilbert," it was all he could do to keep the tears out of his voice and to keep from begging her to come back. If she would just come back to him, then he would promise her anything and everything. He would make it all better. Instead, he had asked her if she was okay because that was all that really mattered. She had replied that she wasn't sure of anything anymore. He had listened to her and had felt his heart break again when she began to sob into the phone. Over the phone, he spoke of promises that it would be all right, that things would be okay, that he loved her. The last had made her cry even harder, alarming him. She had told him that she had been so scared that he would hate her for leaving him. He had told her never. He could never hate her; he loved her. She was his life.

After that phone call, they talked at least once a week, sometimes more. It was always the best and the worst part of his week. The best part because he got to hear her voice, and the worst because his heart ached when he heard from her. Sometimes, he would even hold the phone to Bruno's ear and let Sara talk to him. Bruno missed her, just like his master did.

During all their phone conversations, he hadn't asked or let her tell him where she was exactly. He was afraid that if he knew where she was, then he wouldn't be able to stay away. He missed her so much that honestly it hurt to breathe sometimes. She was so intertwined in his life that without her he never truly felt whole. He always felt that a part of him was missing.

It was hard for him, but he knew that it had to be worse for Sara. It was difficult for him to not be with her not only because he missed her, but also because he wanted to be there for Sara. He wanted to be there to comfort her. To hug her and to tell her that it would be all right. Telling her that over the phone just didn't seem the same. After the first few times they had talked, Sara began to open up and talk to him about everything that she had been feeling before she left. They finally talked about what happened to her in the desert. She had told him about how much she had fought the feeling that she needed to leave, to get away. She told him about her struggles still to face her demons. The conversations were always hard but they were also cathartic.

And after he got over his initial hurt, he had realized that Sara leaving him was not her being selfish. It wasn't her trying to hurt him. She didn't leave because she didn't love him. She left because she loved him. She left him so that she could come back to him. So that they could have a life together.

_  
And you are lovely tonight  
You, dear, will guide me into the morning light  
You are lovely tonight  
Lay here beside me - I see the rest of my life with you_

He was tired when he pulled up to his house that he had shared with Sara. It was a cool February morning. It had been a long night at work. None of the cases had been particularly challenging, but he was exhausted.

He missed Sara. Since she had been gone, he hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep. He hadn't slept in their bed since Sara had left. For the first couple of weeks, he had barely been able to enter their bedroom. The only reason he did was because he needed to get clothes out of his closet. Even Bruno had stayed clear of the room. He would lie mournfully at the side of Sara's favorite reading chair in the living room and look at him as if to ask him when the lady of the house was returning.

He walked up the steps to the front door and opened it. Bruno was usually at the door to greet him when he came home from work. "Bruno? Come here, boy," he called out.

The boxer came running toward him, tail wagging. He barked a few times and ran circles around him. Then Bruno trotted toward the living room and stopped, glancing back as if saying, "Come on."

His heart did a funny flip in his chest. _Could he hope?_

Slowly, almost cautiously, he made his way into the living room. The image before him was one that he would never forget.

Sara was lying on the couch with a blanket covering her. She had one of his sweatshirts and was using it as a pillow, her face turned into it.

She was home again. Everything would be all right now.

He wasn't sure when she had arrived, and he didn't want to wake her but he wanted –no, he needed –to touch her. To hold her in his arms.

He bent down to gently pick her up and he walked toward their bedroom. He planned on holding her in his arms while she slept. But when he laid her down on the bed, she woke.

"Hi," she whispered, sleepily.

"Hi, honey."

Together, they smiled. They couldn't quit staring at each other as their eyes sought to re-memorize every detail of the other's face. She stretched out her arms for him, and he sat down on the bed next to her. He reached out his hand to touch her, to brush a finger down her cheek. He couldn't believe that she was back.

"What time did you get here?"

"I drove through the night; I arrived maybe an hour ago. It was time for me to come back. I was hoping to get here earlier so that I could catch up on my sleep before you got home from work."

"Why don't you sleep, sweetheart?"

"I don't want to sleep, I want to talk to you," she argued, although fatigue was evident in her voice.

"I'll be here when you wake up. We can talk then. I'll lay down with you since I could use some sleep as well." He said the last part although he didn't really think he would be able to sleep. He would much rather stay up and watch Sara as she slept.

In the end, though, he had fallen asleep. Later he would think that it was the best sleep he had in a while. He knew that it was because Sara was back that he had been able to sleep well. Things felt right again.

Hours later when they woke up the sun was shining brightly through their bedroom's blinds. During their slumber, they had moved closer until they clung to each other. He woke up and found himself staring into Sara's brown eyes. It was the most beautiful sight he had seen. He leaned forward and gave her a slow, lingering kiss. "Welcome home, honey."

"Gil?"

"Yes?"

"Let's get married."

"I believe I have already asked you that and you said yes."

"No. I mean now. Today. I don't want to wait any longer."

At first, he was a bit taken back. But the more he thought about it, the more it felt right. The day that she came home and the day they got married would truly be the happiest day of his life. He could think of nothing else that could be better.

"Okay. Let's do it. We can get our marriage license today; there's no waiting period. Where would you want to get married?" he asked.

"Why don't we just get married at the office of the Commissioner of Civil Marriages? I don't care about the location. All that matters is that I'm marrying you."

For the next hour, they discussed what they wanted to do and got dressed for the day. They decided to first go apply for their license and then they would separate for a few hours. Sara wanted to go buy a dress –not necessarily a wedding dress, just something special to have and to own.

"Would you want to spend the night at the Bellagio for our wedding night? We can go somewhere later for our honeymoon. I have plenty of vacation days to take."

"No. I've been gone for way too long. I just want to spend my first night back, my first night as your wife, here in our home," Sara said.

After they applied for their license, they went to the office of the Clark County Commissioner of Civil Marriages to set up a time to get married. Seven o'clock was when they would get married.

Sara and he split up. She went to run her pre-wedding errands while he had things to do of his own. First, he called the one person that they had agreed on to be their witness and told him to meet them at the Commissioner's office.

He had asked, "Sara's back then?"

"Yeah, she's back," he had answered.

Next, Gil went to pick up Sara's ring. He had already bought one and had it engraved, ready for when Sara came back home to him.

He had purchased the ring from a small, but important, jewelry store. A man named Sid owned the store, which had been in his family for generations. All their rings were original and unique. He had bought Sara a platinum ring with a sapphire stone surrounded by diamonds.

Walking into the jewelry store, Sid greeted him. "You're ready to pick up your ring?"

"Yes. I am. I'm getting married tonight," he said, grinning.

Moments later, Sid brought the ring out. "Congratulations to you and the future bride. Does the ring suit you?"

Gil studied the ring. Picking it up, he read the inscription that he had engraved. "Ut nos ed duos, nos es eternus."

"Yes, the ring is beautiful. Thank you."

"Your lady is very lucky, isn't she?" Sid asked.

"No, I'm the lucky one," he said before he left to go purchase a new suit.

A couple hours later, he was standing out on the steps of the Commissioner's office when he saw Jim Brass heading towards him. He was dressed in his brand-new tux. It was charcoal gray and he was wearing a white dress shirt with a blue (that matched his eyes, the sales associate said) tie.

He clasped Jim one-handed on the shoulder, and Jim pulled him into a hug. "Congratulations," his friend told him.

"Thanks. Thanks for coming. It means a lot to both Sara and I."

Jim had been the one person to discover that he and Sara had been dating and then living together. Not only had he approved, but also he had kept their secret. He was his best friend (next to Sara) and he knew that Sara considered Jim as a father figure.

A few moments later, Sara arrived still dressed in her earlier outfit of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Honey, did you not get the memo? We're going to a wedding," he teased, stepping forward to kiss her. He really didn't care what she wore, she could be dressed in her pajamas for all he cared. All he wanted was to marry her.

Sara laughed. "Hey, I have my dress in the bag to change into," she said, holding up the bag that had been at her side. "I called earlier to ask if there was a room that I could use to change into since I didn't want you to see me in my dress yet. They told me that they had a room." Spotting Jim for the first time (as she only had eyes for Gil), she greeted him.

"Sara, it's so good to see you," he said, pulling her into a tight bear hug. Before he let her go, he whispered into her ear, softly, "I'm so glad you came back. You make Gil happy, sweetheart."

Drawing away and trying to blink away the tears that threatened to form in her eyes, she said, "This isn't a good sign if I'm already tearing up before the wedding starts! Jim, I wanted to ask you something. I know that we aren't really doing the whole big wedding thing, obviously, but would you walk me down the aisle to Gil?"

"Sara, I would be honored to do so." Now it was his turn to try not to let tears show. He thought of Sara as a daughter, and he considered Gil to be his best friend. He could not think of a better person for either one to marry. They were meant to be together.

"I think we should probably go in. We have about thirty minutes until it's seven. And you still need to get dressed," Gil said.

They said their goodbyes. Jim followed Gil to give Sara time and privacy to get ready.

When she was finally alone in the room provided for her, Sara took out and hung her 'wedding dress' on the door. After she had separated from Gil earlier, she had gone first to a jewelry store. She knew that he probably wouldn't be expecting a ring, but she wanted to give him one. Next, she had shopped for the perfect dress. She wanted something simple, something special. She had found one, and it had fit perfectly. The last thing she did before meeting back up with Gil was to get her hair and makeup done. The woman who had done her makeup had kept everything very natural, which she appreciated, and her hair was done up in the back with a few strands curling around her face.

She carefully put on her dress, thankful that she wouldn't need any assistance in zipping up the dress. The room she was in had a full-length mirror. She changed into the new shoes she had bought and looked into the mirror. She hoped that Gil would like what she was wearing.

A few minutes later, Jim knocked on the door, "Sara?"

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

"Sara, you look stunning. I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful bride," he told her.

"Thank you, Jim." She leaned forward to kiss him on his cheek and gave him a hug.

"Are you ready? I believe you have a man waiting for you."

They both walked to the room where the ceremony would take place. The door was closed. Jim stuck his head in to signal that they were ready. He could see Gil standing at the far end of the room.

Closing the door again, they could hear the starting notes of the Bridal Chorus.

Sara gave Jim her arm and smiled. "Let's do this." She had heard of some brides being nervous on their wedding day, but she wasn't. She was never as sure of anything as she was in this moment. She was marrying the man she loved. She was ready to become his wife.

From the moment he saw Sara, Gil could not look away. She looked lovely tonight. Her dress was simple, classic. It was strapless, fitting closely to her curves, flowing fuller toward the bottom. The dress was the color of pale champagne. She was a vision of beauty.

As soon as she had stepped into the room, her eyes had locked with Gil's. As she walked down the aisle toward him, her gaze never faltered and she couldn't help but think she was walking toward her future.

Stopping in front of Gil, Jim released Sara's arm and gave her a quick kiss. He then shook hands with his friend and said, "Take care of her."

Gil nodded. Jim stepped to the side, standing next to him.

He took Sara's hands in his and held them as the ceremony began.

"Now, it is time to recite your marriage vows. Sara, you may go first."

Earlier, she and Gil had decided that they would write their own personal vows, separately.

She began, "They say if you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. Well, Gil, I guess you're stuck with me," she paused as both Gil and Jim laughed. Smiling, she continued, "Thank you for loving me enough to let me go. Leaving you was the single hardest thing I have ever done. Those months that I was gone I know that I would never have been able to get through it if I didn't know that I had your love and support. I cannot wait to begin our new life together. You are my one and only. And the only way I'm ever leaving you again is if you are by my side. I love you and I always will."

Finishing her vows that she had written, she squeezed his hands and tried to blink away the tears that had formed in her eyes.

It took him a moment to find his voice. "Sara, letting you go was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. But I did because I had trust in you –trust that you would come back when you were ready. And I had faith in our love for each other. Those months without you were some of the worst for me. When you're not with me, I feel like a piece of me is missing. Today –the day that you came back to me –is the happiest day of my life and I cannot think of a better or more appropriate day to get married to you and to start our life together. And the only way I'll ever let you leave again is if I'm by your side. I love you and I always have."

The Commissioner spoke again, "Do we have the rings?"

Both Gil and Sara had given Jim their rings for each other to hold. Now Jim gave them each their respective ring.

"Sara, if you will repeat after me, please. This ring I give to you as a token of my love and affection to you."

"This ring I give to you as a token of my love and affection to you," Sara repeated as she held Gil's left hand in hers.

The Commissioner repeated the next sentence.

"I pledge to you all that I am and all that I will ever be as your wife," Sara continued.

And as she placed the ring on Gil's finger she said, "With this ring, I gladly marry you and join my life to yours."

Next, it was Gil's turn to repeat the same words. He held her hand as he spoke his promises, his eyes never leaving her face. "This ring I give to you as a token of my love and affection to you. I pledge to you all that I am and all that I will ever be as your husband. With this ring, I gladly marry you and join my life to yours."

"On this day of February 21st, 2008, by the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Sara and Gil grinned at each other.

"You may now kiss the bride," the Commissioner announced.

Stepping forward, they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

Breaking apart a few minutes later (after Jim had cleared his throat, repeatedly), the ceremony ended with the Commissioner presenting them as Mr. and Mrs. Gil Grissom.

After both the Commissioner and Jim offered their congratulations and they exchanged their goodbyes, they headed out into the night and toward their home to start their new life together.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at their house and headed up the steps to the front door. Gil unlocked and opened the door. Before Sara could enter the house, he stopped her and said, "Wait."

"Yes?"

Without answering, he bent to pick her up. "I just wanted to carry my new wife over the threshold," he said as he leaned down to kiss her and carried her inside.

Breaking the kiss a few moments later, Sara said, "And everyone says that romance goes out the door when you get married…"

He grinned. "Not for us, honey… not for us."

"By the way, are you going to put me down, sweetie? Not like I don't enjoy being in your arms…"

"I thought that I would carry you to our bedroom," he answered.

"I like the way you think," Sara replied, smiling at him.

In their bedroom, he closed their door and sat her down on the floor, standing.

"So, I was thinking," he began.

"Oh, you were?" she asked, grinning.

"Yes. I was thinking that maybe we should get you out of that dress. We wouldn't want to get it messed up or anything."

"No, we wouldn't. And I was thinking as well…" Sara said.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. I was thinking that I should help you get out of your suit because we wouldn't want to get it wrinkled or anything."

"It's so nice that we're so thoughtful of one another, isn't it?" Gil asked, smiling at her.

Sara laughed.

"Come here, my very sexy new husband," she demanded. "I want you."

Never one to say no to her, he complied immediately.

Joining her on bed, he turned to her and kissed her.

"Gil? What do you say about trying to fill our empty rooms?"

* * *

FIN

* * *

Please review as it makes me quite happy ;-) You can even yell at me in your review and tell me to get back to work on Memories…I don't mind. 


End file.
